Finding a Roommate Can Be a Friend For Life

Searching for your new roommate?

At the University of Miami, the process of finding a roommate is not as stressful as a high school senior might think. The search process is tied in with the housing application which can be found on CaneLink. Once you click on the “Housing Application Process” under UM Housing, it will take you to the Housing and Residential Life Portal. Once you get to this screen, click on “Housing Application / Apply for a Meal Plan”. Then select the Academic Year in which you will be moving in from the range of options.

For incoming freshmen, they should make sure to select “Academic Year 2018-2019”. Once this is selected and you click “Save and Continue” this will take you to the screen where you will complete your housing application, which includes finding and choosing a roommate.

The first part of the search process is creating your profile. Here you will select what school/college of the University you will be affiliated with along with a variety of other specific roommates related and general activity topics in the hopes of helping you find the perfect roommate. Next, you need to select whether you want to live in substance-free housing or not. Then, you must indicate if you want gender-inclusive housing. After making your choices, hit “Save and Continue” to continue creating your profile. On the next page, you must indicate whether or not you want to be included in the searching process.

The only reason that you would not select this option is if you go to college already knowing your roommate. By getting their screen name, you can just search for them on the “Roommate Requests” screen. If you do not know who your roommate will be going into college, then here is where you will say a little about yourself in order for other people looking for roommates can see what you are like. Popular things to include here include major, interest, hobbies, sports played, favorite music, etc.

On the next page, you will be able to see your accepted roommates, if you have any, as well as suggested roommates, and Requested Roommates. You can also search for roommates on this screen. CaneLink is able to use what students said in the previous step to compute a percentage of similarity between people. This is the easiest way to find someone who is similar to you. If you are able to find someone who you want to room with, you can either request them immediately or, like most people, send a message first in order to get contact information. After exchanging contact information, if you decide that you want to room with the person you contacted, you can get their screen name and then search for them. Once they accept your request, you must accept as well. At that point, you have a roommate and the roommate search process is complete.

Both my roommate and I used this method in order to choose a roommate. It worked out very well as I am best friends with my roommate and am even living with him again next year. I am very happy that I had this process to help me find a roommate since it is one of the many stressful things that need to be done before freshman year starts.